Reynard
by Ceil Scheherazade
Summary: EDITED! Iruka has been left behind by his parents, his teachers, his team mates and now by his students. When he is included in a team created for a dangerous mission, will he finally be able to catch up with those who matter or will he hold them back?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:**** I do NOT own Naruto! It belongs to the amazing Masashi Kishimoto, without whom life would be so boring.**

**Warning:**Solo writer here! No editor or BETA whatsoever! Mercy, please! Oh, and there might be a few OOCness along the way but I'll try to avoid that although I have a plot in my mind so I won't stay too true to the original character. This is a heads up so if you want to flame about the OOCness, please do it elsewhere, thank you.

**Reynard**

**Prologue**

Tsunade clicked her tongue in annoyance as her gaze kept on shifting from the pile of paperwork she still had to go through to the document currently in her hand and finally, to the door where she expected her requested sake to pass through as soon as whoever was meant to deliver it got their damnably slow ass to its destination.

The door suddenly burst open and Tsunade leapt up in excitement. Finally! Her sake was already within reach-

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune exclaimed as she ran towards the Godaime with a small piece of paper in her hand. Tsunade obviously sagged, depressed, at the absence of sake but Shizune ignored it. "This came by a messenger pigeon just a few minutes ago. I think it's urgent."

Tsunade almost sighed in frustration. Plenty of shinobi were always paranoid and would label something 'urgent' when it really wasn't. Really, if this was one of those times, someone's head is going to roll-

The Hokage instantly sobered up as her eyes travelled across the piece of paper.

"Bring me file 11TK0 from the Red Vault _now_," she barked to her assistant. Shizune quickly departed to do as commanded. Tsunade bit the tip of her thumb as she read the note once again.

Sandaime, for all his greatness, for all his compassion, for all his power and for his whole long tenure as Hokage, could not fix and finish everything during his reign. He had left many unresolved issues with her but she could never – and would never – blame him for it. Everyone knew that their Sandaime Hokage had already gone far and beyond the people's expectations of him; there was nothing else they could ask of him. But this was one of those things that Tsunade wished had been taken care of long before her tenure.

When Shizune finally returned and handed the file to her leader, the Hokage had another command for her.

"Bring me Hatake and be discreet about it, Shizune. This is more than just a secret mission. This is a very highly classified mission from the _Red Vault_."

* * *

"Iruka-sensei! _Iruka-sensei!_"

The brown-haired Chuunin Academy sensei suddenly jerked to attention and looked down to see the highly annoyed look of one of his youngest students, Naoki. The boy's brown eyes were narrowed as he tapped his foot against the ground impatiently. Iruka scratched the back of his head and he laughed nervously.

"Ah, were you saying something?"

"You were day-dreaming again, Iruka-sensei!" Naoki yelled in outrage as he pointed a quivering finger at his sensei. Really, the boy was reminding him more and more of Naruto and Konohamaru. "You were about to teach us that awesome new technique that you were going on and on about!"

Iruka's apologetic stance disappeared and he gave his student a strict look. "That 'going on and on about' is called a lecture. Did you even truly listen?"

Naoki had the shame to look down and shift uncomfortably. "Well, I listened to most of it. But I heard enough that it sounded cool!"

Meaning he probably only heard the last part when Iruka had told them how _Naruto_ had difficulty with that jutsu at first before the more powerful and advanced variant of it became his signature jutsu.

Everyone knew about Naruto now and his heroic and awe-inspiring exploits. Iruka would swell with pride whenever he heard the adults admit that Naruto had come such a long way – that he was finally seen as someone beyond the vessel for the Kyuubi. Iruka would smile with happiness whenever he would hear the younger generation aim to be like Naruto – to grow up to be a shinobi like Naruto. Iruka knew that Naruto's dream of being Hokage was already almost – if not already – within his grasp.

_And when he's Hokage, he'll probably be too busy for his old Academy sensei, _Iruka mused sadly. He had accepted long ago that Naruto had surpassed him beyond reach. He had accepted that he's already been left behind for years now. Yet none of those things diminished his love for his former student and he only wished that he felt the same way.

"You're daydreaming again, sensei!" Naoki yelled as he punched Iruka on the hip, which was the highest he could reach his sensei. Iruka was startled out of his thoughts and he gave his class another apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry again," he told them sheepishly. "Now form straight lines and I'll teach you the Bunshin no Jutsu."

As the students either slowly or hurriedly obeyed, Iruka thought seriously about Naoki's accusations. He was right. Iruka was 'daydreaming' more and more frequently.

But Naruto wasn't the sole reason.

His gaze became distant once more. Although he faced the Hokage Monument, his eyes focused beyond it.

Umino Iruka has been left behind long ago...

...Maybe it was time to finally catch up...

* * *

**A/N: **_**A more serious Naruto fic, you say? And multi-chaptered instead of a mere two-shot? Ah yes, this is my humble attempt at a hopefully adventurous fic... Please review and tell me what you think! Hopefully, the next chapters will be longer... **_

**Ceil Scheherazade**


	2. The Red Vault

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Naruto. It's owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

**Reynard**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Naoki truly was like Naruto. Just like the blond before him, the young Academy student was having the most difficulty out of the rest of the class in performing a bunshin. Iruka could see the frustration building and building in the boy as he watched the others in his class slowly improve as they practiced more and more. But no matter how much he persisted, he could not even come up with a body. There would just be a puff of smoke then a big blob. It was only once that Naoki formed something _very _roughly human-shaped – and it had simply been a sphere with four limbs sticking out of it.

"Class, that's enough," Iruka called sternly in a loud voice. He heard sighs of relief as the students relaxed – all except for Naoki, whose face was still scrunched up in concentration.

"Naoki," Iruka called but the boy ignored him. "_Naoki!_"

The boy's gaze finally snapped up and he scowled at Iruka. The Chuunin sensei just gave him a stern look in return and the boy eventually gave in and looked down at his feet.

"You've all done extremely well today," Iruka complimented his students and there were cheers. "Don't forget to practice and especially don't forget about the homework I gave you."

Groans resounded as the students headed towards the school building to gather their bags and go home. Iruka eyed Naoki for a moment before calling him once more.

"Naoki!"

The boy turned around, already halfway across the schoolyard, and gave his teacher a questioning look. Iruka beckoned him closer and the student obeyed.

"What is it, Iruka-sensei?" he asked him when he finally reached the brunet. Iruka gently grabbed his hands before making his fingers form the Ram seal.

"Your fingers are a bit out of place," Iruka told him patiently as he held the boy's fingers in the proper formation. "You also pour too much chakra into the technique without properly manipulating and forming it. The Bunshin no Jutsu does not require too much chakra but it _does _require at least a standard level of chakra control."

Naoki looked down intensely at his hands before looking determinedly up at Iruka.

"So how do I change the way I do it?"

Iruka smiled at how Naoki gracefully accepted the criticism and sought for advice.

"Don't try to throw everything you have onto it," Iruka said. "Picture what you want to form with your bunshin first and then concentrate on filling that image instead of dumping all your chakra on it."

Naoki nodded before forming the hand seals once again.

"Bunshin no Jutsu!"

At first, nothing happened then there was a puff of smoke and a wobbling bunshin materialised. It wasn't perfect yet since it looked very rubbery but it was a great improvement to what Naoki produced before.

Naoki's eyes shined with happiness even after his bunshin poof-ed out of existence and Iruka's heart swelled with gladness at his student's joy.

"I did it, Iruka-sensei! Did you see? It was great!"

Iruka chuckled as he placed a hand on the top of his student's head. "Yes, I saw. It was a great _improvement_ but not perfect yet. But I think with more practice, you'll definitely produce an exact replica soon."

"Yeah!" Naoki yelled excitedly. "Thanks Iruka-sensei!" He then ran off back to the classroom. Iruka knew that the boy would be rushing to get home to show his parents his newly learned jutsu.

Iruka then slowly made his own way back to the classroom in order to collect his things before going to the faculty room to pick his bag up. The other teachers bid him good-bye as he passed them.

He had Missions Room duty next but he had about twenty minutes to spare. Making his mind up, he headed to the direction of the Memorial Stone instead.

* * *

Hatake Kakashi, son of the Konoha White Fang, infamous Copy Nin, wielder of the Sharingan and former ANBU captain, sighed deeply as he turned the shower off before placing a plain navy blue towel over his head and stepping out of the shower. Grabbing a much larger towel, he wrapped it around his waist then left his foggy bathroom to go into his bedroom while rubbing the towel against his head to dry off his hair as much as possible. All his clothes – his shirts, his pants and his underwear – were all uniform and looked exactly the same. He pulled out a sleeveless dark blue shirt with a mask stitched at the collar and putting it on before wearing his underwear and his pants. Most would probably dress in the opposite order but the impulse to cover his face before anything else was too strong to fight – not that he wanted to.

He walked past his desk, ignoring the mission report he was meant to fill out by _yesterday _and headed to his bed where an orange book with a bookmark lay. He sat down before pushing his back against the wall and opening the book at the last page he had been reading. It was always nice to return to _Icha Icha _after a whole morning – and most of the afternoon – of training.

His training had ended earlier than he hoped it would but Hatake Kakashi was very much aware of his limitations unlike what most people believe. He had learned early on that he wasn't helping himself, and his comrades, by foolishly and recklessly pushing past his limits; it only resulted in him being unable to act when he is most needed. Now, more than anything, he had to make sure he was always prepared to be sent out with only a moment's notice. The shinobi world was already at war and Konoha needed each and every one of her soldiers. It would be a disservice to his village if he injured or damaged himself during training when he is needed in the battlefield.

Training has been all that Kakashi has been doing. Sometimes, Sai and Sakura would join him and each time, they would all feel the absence of one blond Genin at the Kage level. Kakashi wondered if Naruto had already figured out that he was actually being kept out of the action and out of harm's way. It wasn't Naruto's style to be the one being protected so everyone had deemed it best to not mention the true reason why he was sent to Kumogakure. Kakashi knew that Naruto would eventually figure out their plan – he wasn't stupid after all despite what many thought – but he hoped that it would be some time before that happens. Naruto would detest the idea of others dying for him and being detained for his own safety would go against his greatest desire, which was to confront his best friend and former team mate, Uchiha Sasuke.

Sasuke. Kakashi still had such conflicting and painful feelings about his former student turned avenger. He had always seen a bit of himself in Sasuke and Kakashi had hoped that the boy would deflect from the destructive path he had chosen for himself under his tutelage. But he had failed and in doing so, he felt that he failed Naruto and Sakura as well. In his determination to steer Sasuke in the right path, he had neglected Naruto's training and had virtually ignored Sakura's needs. Despite all that sacrifice, Sasuke still fell into the endless abyss of hatred so that in the end, Naruto and Sakura endured his neglect – and favouritism? – for nothing.

The words on the page in front of him no longer registered in his mind. Regret filled him up to the point that it was ready to boil over. Getting up, Kakashi put on his complete Jounin uniform and then headed off to the Memorial Stone...

...The only place where he can pour his regrets out without breaking himself.

* * *

"Father, Mother, I'm here today."

Iruka gave a small smile as he slowly drew his fingers across the engraved names of his parents on the Memorial Stone. He would never forget the day that he, while crying in front of his parents' names, was approached and comforted by the compassionate Sandaime Hokage. It was on that day that Sarutobi Hiruzen gained Iruka's complete and utter loyalty and devotion for him and for Konoha. Hiruzen did not take the place of Iruka's parents but he created a space right next to them in Iruka's heart. Now, like his parents, he was beyond Iruka's reach... But Konoha was still here.

So was Naruto.

"Naruto is alive," Iruka whispered – to his parents or to himself, he did not know. "He hasn't left me behind like you have... Yet why do I feel as though he is already somewhere I cannot reach him, as I feel with you?"

"Maa, what a cold assessment, Iruka-sensei," a somewhat familiar deep voice drawled. "Are you saying Naruto is dead to you?"

Iruka leaped up, his heart hammering as he spun around to look towards the direction of the voice. He did not hear or sense anyone approach!

Then he saw who it was.

Ah... Because it was Hatake Kakashi.

"K-Kakashi-sensei," Iruka stammered as heat rapidly crept up his cheeks. "I-I-I... Y-You're here..."

Iruka wanted to punch himself. What a stupid thing to say! No, wait – that was the least of his worries. Kakashi must have heard him rambling to himself, judging by his previous comment!

Iruka hoped Kakashi would use his Mangekyo Sharingan on him and teleport him to a different dimension where he'll never have to face the man again.

"Yes, I'm here," Kakashi said lightly. The voice was amused but his eye was expressing an entirely different emotion...

...or rather, lack of emotion.

The gray eye was like ice.

_Please let him just be passing by, _Iruka thought desperately when a few more seconds of silence ticked by. But the infamous Copy Nin did not budge from his spot a few feet away from him. Iruka had to get away _now_!

"Well, I have to man the desk at the Missions Room," Iruka said quickly as he created a wide berth between him and Kakashi was he walked past. "Have a good evening, Kakashi-sensei-"

"Stop looking back and staring behind you all the time, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi spoke all of a sudden and Iruka stopped in his tracks, pinned by the Jounin's words. "You will make those around you suffer."

Iruka was silent for a moment as he digested the words. The older man was right but he also did not understand...

"I look back because that's what I wish for those in front of me to do," Iruka whispered, his voice just loud enough to surely reach his superior's ears. "You are wrong, Kakashi-sama. Do not worry; no one around me is suffering because there is no one walking by my side."

Not trusting himself anymore, Iruka quickly formed the hand seals for the Teleportation Jutsu and disappeared in a puff smoke and swirling leaves.

_Got the last word this time, 'ne? _Kakashi thought without humour as he walked closer to the Memorial Stone. He glanced at the two names bearing the Umino name briefly before moving on to the name that would hold his attention the longest.

Iruka may think otherwise but he wasn't the only one who Naruto has surpassed. Kakashi, too, now walked behind Naruto, although at a shorter distance compared to Iruka. But didn't the Academy Chuunin sensei realize that Naruto would always come back to him? That Iruka was his home?

Kakashi almost snorted. Obviously not.

Iruka must fix his inferiority complex or even Naruto would notice his negativity – and that was the last thing Naruto needed.

Before Kakashi could even begin his internal one-sided conversation with Uchiha Obito, he sensed a presence behind him.

"Kakashi-sempai," an ANBU greeted formally. "Shizune-sama is in search of you; it seems to be urgent."

Uzuki Yugao still addressed him as "sempai" just like Tenzou despite the fact he was no longer an official member of ANBU. Of course, he was still summoned to bear the mask from time to time when the need was grave.

"You were not sent by Tsunade-sama," Kakashi stated. It was not a question but prompted verification.

"No," Yugao answered. "I chanced upon Shizune-sama standing outside of your apartment, biting the tip of her thumb. It's a habit she probably gained from Tsunade-sama."

"Thank you for informing me," Kakashi said and Yugao disappeared after a nod of her head. Kakashi, instead of returning to his apartment, headed for the Hokage Residence.

There was only one reason he could think of why Tsunade would send Shizune out to search for him instead of asking for an ANBU to do it.

What she was about to tell him is meant to reach only the ears of those she trusted without reservation.

"Shizune found you earlier than expected," Tsunade commented as her eyes raked over the small note in her hand for the umpteenth time.

"She didn't find me," Kakashi replied calmly as he slowly approached his Hokage's desk. "Yugao did. Should I have fetched Shizune first?"

"No need," Tsunade answered as she stood up from behind her desk and approached her window. Putting her hands together, she quickly made a few hand seals and the glass became opaque like the walls. The door became the only way out of the room and Kakashi was positive that it was sound proof.

He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

The Godaime Hokage walked back behind her desk although she remained standing. She sighed deeply and the anticipation that had been building within Kakashi ever since Tsunade had sealed the room threatened to overflow.

"Kakashi, although you are the last person I want to send away from the village with all the shit in our hands, I need you to help one of our shinobi complete his Red Vault assignment."

Kakashi's eye widened slightly, reflecting how shocked he was. He definitely never even thought the urgent matter would be something like _this_.

The Red Vault was a heavily sealed and tightly guarded but small vault that contained all the information on missions what were classified as Red Vault missions. Only the Hokage and at least two other extremely trusted Konoha citizens – their identities were kept secret – had access to the Red Vault, which is to have been present even before the founding of Konoha. All missions contained in the Red Vault are long term missions that last, at the _very least_, for a _decade_; a number even go beyond one person's lifetime. Not only that but these missions were usually A or S-class. Therefore, the shinobi sent on such missions needed outstanding endurance, endless patience and an iron will since most break within two to three years or so without even just a brief period of rest.

The Copy Nin's eyes narrowed as Tsunade's words replayed in his mind. "You said 'one of our shinobi'. There's no such thing as a solo Red Vault mission." To give an individual such a solo mission would seal the fate of that person.

Tsunade shook her head. "There were originally ten of them. He is the only one left." She handed him a file and Kakashi stared at the _black _porcelain fox mask the man in the photo was wearing to cover his face.

"Codename Black Fox. His file basically says nothing about him and nowhere I look would give me more information." Tsunade sighed deeply and her shoulders sagged; Kakashi wanted to mimic her. This was already proving to be quite a mind-boggling mission.

"Where are the files of his comrades?" Kakashi asked her as he memorized the information in his hands – not that it was difficult. There was only one page with three main headings: Profile, Missions and Team. The profile contained only the Black Fox's codename and his hair and eye colour. The 'Missions' section only stated: 1 B-rank, 3 A-rank, 2 S-rank. The longest list was under the 'Team' heading, which contained nine names. The page was quite bare – and extremely puzzling and suspicious.

Firstly, the lowest ranking mission this Black Fox has in his records was a single B rank. Everything else were A and S-rank – and there were only six missions, with _no _details, reported. No matter how much of a genius a shinobi was, they would still have to start with D-ranked missions and work their way up. Then, there was no real name, no listed family members and there was no history as to who his teacher was or who his Genin cell was made up of. The longest list on the file was the list of his nine team mates in his long-term mission. In fact, it was like the Black Fox's shinobi life only began at the start of the Red Vault mission. Even ANBU files contained the real identities of the ANBU operatives, yet if you stripped away the mask from this Black Fox it was like he didn't exist at all.

It was indeed suspicious beyond a doubt.

"They have no files."

Kakashi looked up from the file at Tsunade. "What was that?" But he knew exactly which question his Hokage had answered.

Thankfully enough, she humoured him.

"There are no files on the other nine. I only know of their existence through that single file."

Kakashi stared at the names; just names – names that could easily be erased and lost forever... Their existence could easily be wiped out by just erasing these names. Besides the Black Fox, who else knew of these nine?

Looking at the date when the mission started, Kakashi realized that it has been a bit over ten years since it had begun. The latest update stated that only the Black Fox remained by there was no date to state when this update had been made. The mission started during the time of Sandaime Hokage and Kakashi found it very hard to believe that Sarutobi Hiruzen would be careless enough to fail to properly record and update mission files, especially ones from the Red Vault.

But was the Sandaime being careless? Or was the file purposely made to be as uninformative as possible?

A grim and heavy air settled on Kakashi. If it was the second, he could only think of one reason why the file would be purposely bare...

...There was someone after it who may have access to the Red Vault.

Seeing the hard set of Tsunade's jaw, Kakashi knew that the Godaime realized it too.

"Anyway," Tsunade continued after Kakashi offered no other response. "The Black Fox sent a request for immediate back-up. He says he's closing in on his target but he needs help to finally finish off the mission. Considering it's been ten years and that this has been his very first request for back-up despite the death of all of his team mates, I believe that giving him what he needs is the least we can do."

"Understood."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Also, the whole nature of this affair is just sending me the most ominous vibes that I would be extremely foolish to ignore. Get to the bottom of this, Hatake."

Kakashi gave a sharp, firm nod. "Understood, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade knew that the next minutes would be ones she would rather avoid. "You are going to bring eight others with you to replace the ones lost." She handed him another folder, which he took. When Kakashi flicked through the files to see who the unfortunate ones who'd be stuck with him would be, his eyebrow raised at some of the members. However, it was the last shinobi on the list that caused his eye to widen.

Then his eye narrowed. "You made a mistake," he said bluntly. Tsunade raised her own eyebrow in reply.

"I made no mistake," she said calmly as she laced her fingers together before resting her chin on them. It was her sign that she was preparing for a big argument and a show of insubordination.

"You have," Kakashi retorted and he turned the folder so that Tsunade could see what – or _who_ – he was referring to.

Tsunade didn't even have to look at the name to know who it was.

_**Umino Iruka**__._

* * *

**A/N: **_**I was hoping this chapter would be 10 pages long but it felt like a good idea to stop there. Please tell me what you think and leave a nice review for me! Thank for all the people who reviewed the prologue and who added this story to their alerts list!**_

Ryu Earth_** – Thanks sooo much for being the first to comment on this story! Thus, this chapter is dedicated to you so I genuinely hope that you enjoyed this chapter! It's being a bit slow, I admit, but hopefully it will get better. I'm crossing my fingers! At least now you know what the Red Vault is! I hope it didn't fall short of your expectations... **_

Swiss Army Knife_** – Wow... You're reading a story of mine! I've read a few of your ones and I must say that I'm as star-struck as when **_The-Lady-Smaell_** reviewed my other story! *blushes* I'm glad you like the concept I've chosen and my characterisation of Naoki although we might not see him for a while guessing from the end of this chapter. Kakashi and Iruka might be a bit OOC but I guess that's the fun of fanfiction... I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll look forward to hearing – erm, reading – your comments.**_

The-Lady-Smaell_** – Hi, milady! Haha! I'm flattered that you're reading this story too and your review just put the biggest smile on my face. It was a good thing no one was looking at me or they would've seen the goofiest look on me. LOL, the Red Vault isn't actually THAT impressive... Well, I hope it came out as impressive enough and like I said to **_Ryu Earth_**, I hope that it didn't fall short of people's expectations. Thank you for your offer of being my BETA but I want to test myself first. If my writing becomes too ugly I might turn to you though! =) Your compliments always put a warm fuzzy feeling in my chest, haha! Thanks again!**_

ShiroLight_** – Last but definitely not least! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. I'm very, very, very glad – and flattered – that you think the idea to this story is a bit original. I think that is one of the best compliments I can ever receive so thank you! I already have this story planned out so you'll have to wait to see how Iruka plans to catch up. Thanks again!**_

**Ceil Scheherazade**


	3. Mission Start

**Disclaimer:**I do NOT own Naruto. The brilliant Masashi Kishimoto does.

**Warning:** My fanfic will diverge from Naruto chapter 511 so my story won't follow anything after that! This story is taking place after Naruto was sent off to be "hidden" along with Killer Bee and the Eight-Tails in that monster-filled island. But as always, keep in mind this _is_ a fanfic so the history of the characters may also be different!

**Reynard**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"I made no mistake," Tsunade repeated as her eyes narrowed, her patience stretching thin. It was Kakashi's right to question her judgment especially after his last A-rank mission with Iruka. However, he was allowed to question her only _once. _She would not tolerate his stubbornness especially on _this _matter.

Kakashi's fists clenched ever so slightly. "Iruka has the skills of a good shinobi but he does not have the character for it – he has too much heart. He also gets easily distracted and easily fooled. In our last mission together, a couple of years ago, he received severe wounds that he never should have gotten because he opened his ears to an enemy ninja. That mission had been his last A-rank mission as I recommended to the Hokage." He then lifted the file to draw attention to it.

"But this... This is a Red Vault mission. This has the potential to be an S-rank mission. It's bad enough that he potentially endangers himself in high-ranking missions – that should be more than enough reason to forbid him to go – but he also endangers his comrades. Sandaime Hokage, for all of his compassion and high regard of Iruka, agreed with me."

Tsunade eyes narrowed even further into slits. She had already lost count on how many times she has been compared to the Sandaime Hokage. Unfortunately, the Yondaime Hokage perished as a hero too early for her to also be compared to him. Tsunade had always held her sensei in high regard – as a shinobi, as a leader and as a man. Isn't she following his footsteps after all? His principles, his beliefs – his will of fire?

But she was not perfect and she was definitely _not _Sandaime. She was the _Godaime _and she damn well deserved the respect and obedience of her shinobi.

"I am sending Iruka on this mission for a very good reason, brat," Tsunade almost spat, her amber eyes fiery as she stood up to her full height and stared at the younger shinobi – the shinobi who had been selected as her successor before she woke up from her coma. She could understand where Kakashi was coming from but in the end, it was her decision that mattered. "You'll understand when you get there so to make sure that he doesn't endanger himself and everyone around him, _stick close to him_!"

Konohagakure's strongest kunoichi slammed her palms against her desk with a loud bang, signalling the end of the discussion. She sat back down and Kakashi stiffly bowed his head.

"As you will, Hokage-sama."

"It is as I will. Now send for Iruka. He's the only one who hasn't been informed yet."

* * *

_I'm so stupid, stupid, stupid, _stupid_!_

Iruka banged his head for the umpteenth time on the Missions Desk, making his co-workers look at him either in worry or bewilderment. It was not very like him to hurt himself by introducing his forehead to the wooden surface continuously with a loud 'bam'.

He could still remember the words Kakashi said to him a few years ago after his last official A-rank mission...

"_Only the naive see only the goodness in everyone and that naivety can throw your loved ones into a world of misery. Have mercy on them and harden your heart when duty calls."_

"_Stop looking back and staring behind you all the time, Iruka-sensei. You will make those around you suffer."_

_I seem to really be a pain to be around with, aren't I? _Iruka thought glumly as he recalled the statement Kakashi made less than an hour ago. He had been emotional and touchy and so upset that Kakashi still thought he was nothing but a thorn to those around him that he had lashed back without thinking on his words.

"_You are wrong, Kakashi-sama. Do not worry; no one around me is suffering because there is no one walking by my side."_

No matter how many times he played it around his head, those words were the words of one indulging in self-pity; it was quite appalling. Had he really become so weak?

_You're stronger than this, Iruka! Remember your roots! Remember _who_ you are!_

He owed it to his parents to hold his head up high and to walk forward with his back straight and his gaze facing forward. Kakashi was right: there was no point in looking back with sadness and regret. If he ever looked back, it should be to draw strength and not to get weakened.

Especially now. With the shinobi world as it was at the moment, he could not afford to hesitate anymore. He had to be decisive and ruthless.

His time was coming – that he knew from deep within him.

The question was whether or not he would stand alone.

"Umino Iruka-san."

Iruka suddenly jumped up in surprise, completely caught off guard. He had been so deep in his thoughts that his guard had been down. He cursed mentally. Even Naoki had noticed that he kept on drifting off...

...But he had a good reason for it.

It's just that he couldn't explain the reason.

"Shizune-sama," he greeted, straightening. Shizune seemed bewildered with his initial reaction when she called his name. He seemed to have been day-dreaming although what he was thinking of did not seem pleasant. She gave him a firm look then nodded to him.

"Hokage-sama requires your presence," she said formally. Iruka just nodded and left his post to follow her to Tsunade-sama's office.

Shizune knocked on the thick wooden door as he waited behind her. When a "Come in!" was yelled out, the Hokage's secretary slowly opened the door before motioning for Iruka to enter. The Chuunin sensei bowed politely to her before stepping through the doorway. She followed after him and shut the door behind her.

Iruka gaped at the difference in the room. The first thing he noticed was that there were no windows, thus making the door the only way out of the room. Then he noticed the silver tuft of hair.

He paled.

The last person he wanted to see at the moment was locked inside the Hokage's office with him!

* * *

Kakashi looked at the younger man coolly although inside he was seething. He really had nothing personal against Iruka – it's just that the Chuunin was too soft-hearted... and indecisive... and reckless... He was like a jinx. Sure, put him in any C-rank mission and below and he functioned perfectly. But B-rank and above?

He was a disaster waiting to happen.

Kakashi still didn't understand why Iruka had to be included in this Red Vault mission but Tsunade said that he would understand the reason soon enough. What if she was wrong and it was too late?

He was also thinking about how the Black Fox would respond to the presence of Iruka. The shinobi had requested for back-up. How would he react if he found out that one of the shinobi sent to assist him was an incompetent Chuunin? Kakashi knew that the Black Fox would be disappointed at best and enraged at worst.

But as Tsunade said, her will was law.

So he had to keep Iruka close to him and make sure the man did not get into trouble.

Tsunade was giving the Chuunin sensei the news. "Iruka, you are to be sent as back-up for a shinobi who is near the end of his Red Vault mission."

Kakashi watched Iruka's reaction closely. When the Chuunin first entered, Kakashi saw a mixture of shock, embarrassment and panic when Iruka laid his eyes on Kakashi. But when Tsunade told him the reason why she summoned him to his office, instead of stuttering and questioning the Hokage as to why _he_ would be sent on such a mission, the Chuunin straightened his back as his eyes became dark and serious. It was a soldier's stance and Kakashi was surprised by it.

"As you will, Hokage-sama," he said firmly. Determination and conviction shone through his words and the way he stood. Kakashi almost believed that he would be different from their last mission.

_Almost._

After all, to see was to believe.

Their first skirmish will show the Jounin if Iruka really had taken his words to heart all those years ago.

* * *

When Iruka finally finished packing his necessities for the journey, he stopped and carefully straightened as he looked around the small house he grew up in with his parents – and after he lost them. It was a small house with the central room being the combined dining room and lounge. Only a small counter separated the kitchen from the dining area while a doorway beside his couch led to a small hallway where the entrances to the two bedrooms and his one bathroom were. He walked around, looking carefully at each room and tried to memorize every small detail, even the speck of dirt here and a forgotten scrunched up piece of paper there...

...As though he was never going to see these rooms ever again...

Iruka lingered the longest in his parents' room. He would only sleep there whenever Naruto came to visit so that they would both fit on the bed, which was a queen-size. Of course, with all the shifting, kicking and punching Naruto did in his sleep, he would have preferred it to be a king-size but he really couldn't bear to take away his parents' bed.

Iruka looked at his clock on the mantel by his fireplace, where a picture of his family, his students, Team 7 and Naruto were located. The clock showed 9:15am. The meeting time was 10:00am.

_It's still early. Good. _

He picked his pack up before slipping his arms through the straps and hoisting them on his shoulder. He smiled wistfully as he set up his traps and locked his front door. With one last lingering look at the house, he gave it a small bow then headed off to an apartment he knew well.

Naruto's.

Iruka still didn't know when Naruto would be back but he wrote his student a letter nevertheless. He didn't want to leave without telling Naruto the things he wanted the blond to know the most.

_You are my mother, my father, my sister, my brother. You are my family. I love you._

Iruka took the key to Naruto's apartment out of his pocket. He unlocked the front door before slipping in quietly.

Naruto's apartment was clean despite his absence since Iruka would clean it up for him every other day. The Chuunin padded over to Naruto's bed and couldn't help smoothing the bed covers. He then placed the letter he wrote on the side table by the bed before exiting through the front door. After giving the landlady the key to Naruto's apartment, he rushed off to the rendezvous point outside the village gates.

When Iruka arrived, he saw that there were already four people waiting. With his heart pounding, Iruka realized that all four were wearing the ANBU uniform with masks included.

As he cautiously approached them, he realized that one of the four was a woman. Her hair was tied at the base of her neck in a low ponytail. She wore hoop earrings and she was much shorter than him. In fact, _two_ out of the four were shorter than him. The female he could understand but the other one was a man; he was either really just naturally short – or he were younger than Iruka.

Could he possibly be a _teenager_?

_There's no need to worry, _Iruka reprimanded himself. Hatake Kakashi _was also only a teenager when he became an ANBU captain._

But the fact that teenagers need to be sent to such dangerous missions was disheartening. Then again, who was Iruka to judge? Even he himself had only been a teen when he was sent to his first A-rank mission.

"Iruka-sensei," one of the taller men greeted. He had shoulder-length sable-coloured hair and there was something familiar about his drawl...

_Shiranui Genma._

"Good morning," Iruka greeted with a bow as he threw the information at the back of his head. His gaze shifted to the tallest of the men so far and he could only guess that this was Genma's usual teammate.

_Namiashi Raidou._

The only one missing from the usual group was Yamashiro Aoba and that was only because he was in the Land of Lightning with Naruto, Maito Gai and Yamato.

He turned his gaze to the shortest man. He had short jet black hair and, judging by the skin exposed at his upper arms, pale skin. Iruka had some idea as to who he could be but he was not entirely sure yet. If it was who Iruka thought he was, he would have disapproved of him being here since he was concerned for the younger man's safety. Then he realized – and remembered – that the person he was thinking of was from ANBU. If Iruka, a mere Chuunin, was in this mission, then he certainly deserved to be in this mission as well.

As for the woman, if he could only hear her voice...

To his absolute shock, the female ANBU raised her hand before sliding the mask off of her face.

"Wolverine," Genma protested, vexed.

"He would have known sooner or later," Nara Yoshino retorted as she gave Iruka a curt nod. "I'm positive you saw it in his eyes that he was slowly deducing who we were. He _does _work closely with the Hokage – both the Third and the Fifth – you know. In fact, anyone who works at the Missions Room can probably instantly recognize you through your voice since it's your second home."

There was a deep sigh and Genma slid his mask to the side as well. He stuck a senbon between his teeth before giving Iruka the same curt nod as Yoshino did.

"So do you know who the rest are?" Genma asked, his tone light. Iruka hesitated for a moment before answering.

"I think that might be Namiashi Raidou-san," Iruka said as he looked at the tallest ANBU. Raidou slid his mask to the side and gave him a small smile. Iruka then turned to the last one – the only one he wasn't sure about.

"I'm not a hundred percent confident but... Sai?"

The pale dark-haired ANBU shifted his mask to the side and gave his typical smile. "I'm impressed, Umino-san."

"Iruka," the Chuunin automatically corrected and Sai's smile widened.

"Iruka-san," he replied with a polite bow.

When Naruto first introduced Sai to Iruka, the younger man had been extremely nervous and fidgeted constantly. After Naruto told Iruka about Sai's past, Iruka felt nothing but compassion for the young former Root-shinobi and so, he easily welcomed him. Sai eventually became more comfortable around him although he would always still be embarrassed to call Iruka by his first name. Iruka was actually quite fond of Sai despite some of the younger man's tactless and naive moments. He honestly found it all amusing.

"And you would have recognized me as soon as you heard my voice since we've had so many parent-teacher meetings after all the trouble Shikamaru got into during his time at the Academy," Yoshino added with a smirk. Iruka felt humbled by her compliment and he blushed.

"Is everyone else on this mission part of the ANBU?" Iruka questioned to take the attention off of him.

Genma nodded. "Yes, everyone assigned on this mission is part of the black-ops. Of course, you're the exception, Sensei."

Iruka bit his bottom lip. Maybe this was the reason Kakashi had given him such an intense look during the mission brief. He was the only non-ANBU assigned to this Red Vault mission! If he were in Kakashi's sandals, he would also be wondering why the hell the Hokage would send an Academy teacher whose last A-rank mission had almost killed him. Heck, Iruka was wondering why these four weren't asking him what he was doing with them.

The four then began replacing their masks.

"Just a word of caution, Iruka-sensei," Raidou suddenly spoke up. "The other three ANBU joining us in this mission are ones you do not know."

Raidou didn't need to say more. It was a warning that Iruka would probably be belittled and harassed by the other three ANBU. They would probably openly call him a burden and deem him unfit for the mission.

He would just have to ignore them and do his best.

Easier said than done.

Four shadows suddenly dropped around them and Iruka realized that the rest of the team arrived.

One was obviously Kakashi. Iruka would recognize that gravity-defying puff of silver hair anywhere. He was looking straight at Iruka and the Chuunin almost took a step back, intimidated at the intensity in that gaze. Trying with all his might, Iruka was able to break the eye contact to look at the other three ANBU.

The first one that caught his attention was the biggest out of the three. He was also the biggest in the whole team and he could not be shorter than six-and-a-half feet. He was also well-muscled, making him a very daunting figure. He was also noticeably bald and there was a double 'X'-shaped scar on the top of his head. A bear-like mask covered his face.

The one next to the giant was a delicate-looking kunoichi. She had dark blond hair that was tied in a high ponytail with several needles protruding from it. Two long loose strands framed her face and she wore a cat-like mask.

The last member of their team had dark hair that was tied in a high ponytail at the left side of his head. Like the kunoichi with the cat-like mask, two strands of hair framed his face, which was covered by a bird-like mask. Besides the ANBU tattoo on his left arm, there was another tattoo on his right arm. The red tattoo's shape was unlike any other Iruka had seen before. The dark-haired ANBU also had kunai strapped on his thigh outside of the pouch. It was quite unusual.

"Iruka-sensei, wear this."

Iruka snapped his attention back to Kakashi and he saw that the older man was holding a white mask out to him. Unlike the ANBU mask which was moulded to resemble animals, the surface of this mask was blank and a flower was painted on it instead.

Iruka shut his eyes and gathered all of his strength. He had to be strong. He had to be _strong_!

He released a deep sigh and applauded himself when his voice remained calm when he asked his question.

"Is that a daffodil?"

There was a pause. "I am not quite sure but this was the mask Tsunade-sama instructed me to give you."

Iruka just nodded stiffly before taking the mask and donning it.

They had no idea what the flower meant to Iruka. He could already feel their curious and damning looks. They would think that he was being touchy and sulking for not being given an animal mask like them. They would think that he was being overdramatic by reacting the way he did upon seeing the mask. They would think he did not even deserve a mask since he did not deserve to even be in the mission. They would think that he was a burden and that he would just make the mission more difficult.

They had no idea what the flower meant to him...

...And he would do everything he can to make sure that they never would.

* * *

Why did Iruka look haunted by the mask Kakashi handed him?

Tsunade had given him the mask that morning when he went to her to inform her of their departure. Kakashi did not question her then since he thought that the mask had no special meaning. Of course, he did not expect Iruka to be given an animal mask like an ANBU since those masks have to be deserved so he thought it appropriate that the mask have a flower on it instead. He thought that it was just a mask to soothe the Chuunin by allowing him to hide his emotions from them – and so that he could feel a bit more like them.

But Kakashi had seen it. He had seen the pain in Iruka's eyes before the Chuunin swiftly closed them.

"_Is that a daffodil?"_

The question had been asked calmly and Iruka's face had been expressionless but he did not fool Kakashi.

The flower meant something to Iruka _personally_.

"We are headed east," Kakashi said out loud in a commanding tone. "The Black Fox will meet us en route to the eastern border of Fire Country. He will provide us with additional details. Go!"

The nine shinobi acted immediately and began running towards the east with Kakashi on the lead. Although the ANBU members could go faster, they had to go below their maximum speed for Iruka. Kakashi glanced behind him.

"Iruka," he called sternly. "Stick close to me."

"Yes, Hound-sama," Iruka replied obediently as he sped up a bit to catch up to Kakashi and stay slightly behind him on his left. His voice was a bit different, muffled by the mask.

"There's no point with codenames," Kakashi told him patiently. "You know exactly who I am so just address me by my name. I will introduce the other three to you later since I'm sure you've already deduced who the other four are."

He knew that Iruka was looking at him in shock. He might not think much of Iruka's excess of compassion but he was aware of Iruka's powers of deduction. He might not be as clever as Shikamaru but he knew that Iruka was resourceful and sharp.

No, it wasn't Iruka's brains that he was worried about.

It was his heart.

* * *

**A/N: **_**Another chapter done! This was very hard to write... Well, the second half of it anyway. The main reason it took me forever to write this chapter is because I was hesitant as to who to include in the team. I wanted to use as many **__Naruto __**characters as possible but due to the setting of this fic, I couldn't use ones I wanted to be there (e.g. Yamato, Aoba, possibly Gai) so I had to debate about my options with myself... It was not pretty. But next chapter should be exciting... *smiles secretively* **_**=D **_**This chapter is dedicated to the first reader of the last chapter... **_The-Lady-Smaell_**! She has also been devotedly reading all of my fics, which really, truly flatters me! *HUGS* **_

The-Lady-Smaell – _**Hello my dear, dear Milady! XD As usual, your reviews put the absolutely biggest smiles on my face. You can never do wrong in my eyes, LOL! I'm truly flattered that you think my story is original. I originally intended to put Naoki in this but gosh darn it, he didn't fit. And you even reviewed **__"The Dangers of Kindness"__**! I WUV YOU! HAHA! Did you know part of the reason I updated Reynard was because of your review for that fic? Ah, you are my new muse! *blushes* But anyway, that shows how reviews DO kick me off my butt and start updating! Thanks muchness again!**_

Kick-Aft – _**Yay! I got you interested! Haha! Thanks for letting me know! I hope you enjoyed this chapter although I found it such a pain to write and I'm not sure if it's up there but ah well... We must move on! Thanks again!**_

Ryu Earth_** – Another one of my regulars, LOL! Hi! I'm glad you liked the Red Vault and my characterisation of Kakashi! Hmm... Not sure if he'll be much liked in this chapter though although I personally like him in this! Thanks for reviewing!**_

ShiroLight_** - Yeah, a lot of people didn't expect the Red Vault to be that... Was everyone expecting something more spectacular? Eeep! LOL, 'owl impression'... As for the Black Fox, you'll just have to wait and see... Who knows, maybe you won't wait for long... *secretive smile* As for Iruka, he might seem a bit weird in this chappy and that will be cleared up later on in the next chappies... MUST... not... give... it... AWAY... Anyway, thanks for truly thinking this fic is original... Hopefully, you will still believe that with the upcoming chapters!**_

-usagi018-_** - Erm... Iruka... Weak... Erm... You'll see! Haha! I'm glad you're looking forward to it! I hope you enjoy this chapter! XD**_

eyes0nme19_** – Aww! *blushes* Thanks! I hope you continue to love my story... This chapter may be a bit confusing but hopefully I'll improve with the upcoming chapters with the help of my reviewers. Thanks for the numerous compliments! *HUGS***_

nequam-tenshi_** – NOT giving anything away! **_**=) **_**Hopefully this update was soon enough for you. I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review!**_

tina_** – Aww, thanks! I'm glad you like this fic so far... I hope you continue to like it! Thanks for reviewing!**_

_**Thanks to all my readers, to everyone who added this story to their favourites or alerts list and to those who reviewed the mini-prequel **__"The Dangers of Kindness"__**! THANKS!**_

**Ceil Scheherazade**


	4. Helplessness

**EDIT: **_**To my old readers, there are some important edits in Chapters 2 and 3. Basically, Neji is off the mission. I just realized that I had 10 people going off to meet the Black Fox instead of 9! Utter fail, I know but please be patient with me and read those chapters again.**_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. It's owned by the amazing Masashi Kishimoto!

**Reynard**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

A moonless night was a shinobi's best friend, especially when travelling towards enemy territory. People who were not shinobi might bless the clear night sky but for a shinobi, a clear sky was a double-edged sword. It really all depended on the situation and what techniques the enemy had. One thing was certain: Iruka appreciated the good weather. He could only imagine how rain would make it harder to keep up with the grueling pace of the ANBU around him.

The Black Fox's instructions stated that he would meet his reinforcements at the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water at its southern-most point. The journey typically took about six days to a week but shinobi could do it within five days. ANBU, however, could probably make the trip in two to three days when pressed. The group was already on the third night of their travel since leaving Konoha but they probably would not reach the meeting point until sunset the next day. Iruka had no doubt that the ANBU members of the team – that is, everyone except him – could probably have managed it in a shorter amount of time but they had all been held back by him. They only stopped twice a day: to eat on the first break and to sleep, if it could be called that, on the second break. There were no conversations – just pure professionalism and absolute focus. The whole affair was, without a question, more than daunting. A Chuunin would undoubtedly be helplessly intimidated by such teammates, and Iruka was no exception.

It was notable that the team leader, Kakashi, stuck by him the whole way. While two of the shinobi Iruka had yet to meet – codenamed Caracal and Kestrel – were scouting ahead, the six other ANBU formed a diamond with Iruka and Kakashi at the center. Rather than the Hound, who was the rightful leader, the one who was the front tip of the diamond was Genma. Iruka knew he was being _protected. _He was like a client rather than a shinobi.

It was vexing, mortifying and depressing.

Iruka was glad that the mask he wore hid the angry scowl that was probably dominating his facial expression.

_This is no time to be moping, Umino_, he thought harshly to himself. _The very last thing you can allow yourself to be in this mission is to be a crybaby Chuunin wailing foul to the world!_

Steeling his resolve, he put that extra strength on his kick against the tree branch.

* * *

If it had been anyone else but _him_, no one would have noticed the agitation in Umino Iruka – he was hiding it that well. Kakashi felt somewhat proud of him for accomplishing what he considered a feat for the emotion-driven Chuunin; however, Iruka needed to learn more than just hiding his emotions.

He also had to learn how to let them go at the appropriate moments.

Although the whole team moved slower than they could have, they were still making good time – just enough that they would beat the deadline set by the Black Fox. Kakashi and those in ANBU were used to travelling for days and barely stopping but Kakashi knew that there was no point in pushing Iruka that far. Whatever his role was in this whole affair, they needed him as strong and healthy as possible. It would not do any good to push the Academy sensei too hard. Only the heavens knew how the Black Fox would react if he saw the Chuunin was exhausted to death before the mission even really began.

Kakashi knew that none in his team held anything against Iruka's skills…

…except maybe for the three ANBU who did not personally know him.

"_A Chuunin, sempai? Why would we need a measly_ Chuunin_ for a Red Vault mission? He'll probably only get himself killed or worse – he could get all of us killed."_

And that was Kakashi's worry deep down as well, wasn't it? He could tell himself that he trusted Iruka enough because he was _Naruto's _teacher. A huge part of what Naruto was today was due to this Academy sensei and his unquestionable love for the boy. Naruto also wore his emotions at his sleeve yet he was still very much alive up to now. Wouldn't Iruka be the same?

But they weren't the same. Naruto was the vessel for the Nine-Tailed Fox and possessed half of its chakra along with his own vast supply of chakra. Iruka, on the other hand…

Iruka was ordinary.

Kakashi was not being mean or spiteful. To him, there was something wonderful and glorious in being ordinary in the shinobi world. They didn't bathe in blood or drown in sin on a regular level. They could form relationships and keep them. They could live under the light and warmth of the sun with no shame. They could sleep peacefully without being plagued night after night by nightmares and the faces of those who have long been dead and gone.

There were many times when Kakashi wished he were ordinary – that he had not been born a prodigy in the shinobi arts. But he knew his duty and his responsibilities for being born the way he was. He had his place…

…just like how Iruka has his own place.

Kakashi very much doubted that Umino Iruka was destined to be in a Red Vault mission.

They knew none of the specifics of this mission. All they knew was that ten years ago, ten people left Konoha and now, only one remained. This one survivor was nearly at the conclusion of his mission and he, who had worked solo for so many years, needed help to finish it. They did not even know his abilities, his specialty, or what he specifically wanted from them. What was clear was that there was an extremely high possibility that at least one of them would die.

Kakashi cared for all of his teammates – every single one of them especially Sai, who was a part of the future generation of Konoha. He would give his life to protect the inheritors of Konoha's will of fire.

That said he would equally give his life to protect the kind-hearted teacher who rescued Naruto from the darkness that everyone else had thrown him into. Iruka's death would kill something in Naruto and Kakashi could not allow that to happen.

"Whatever happens, stick close to me, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi said quietly, just enough for Iruka to hear.

There was a very brief pause, then, "Yes, sir."

* * *

They finally stopped two hours later for what Iruka came to expect as a four-hour "sleep". During the first night, Iruka thought that he would not be able to sleep from anxiety. However, the journey took much out of him and he was ashamed to say that he slept like a baby for the whole four hours he was allowed to. So far, only he has had four hours straight of sleep – the rest of the team had taken turns watching over the camp.

_I can't let this continue, _Iruka thought as a pang of hatred directed at himself shot through his body. _I really am like a client. I'm bringing shame to the title of 'Chuunin'._

Mind made up he approached Kakashi, who gave a signed to Raidou and Sai with his fingers. The two leaped into the trees and disappeared, probably to call Caracal and Kestrel back and to replace them for sentry duty.

"Kakashi-sama, I should be one of the watchers tonight," Iruka spoke up when Kakashi turned towards him. "I'm the only one who has had a good night's sleep these past two days."

"Maa, Iruka-sensei, it's all right," Kakashi said lightly. "We are used to this."

But Iruka was not ready to give up so easily.

"That might be the case but I am a part of this team too. I don't think I've contributed anything yet and this is the least I can do."

There was a snort somewhere behind him and Iruka spun around to see who it was. The third ANBU whose name he did not know – codenamed Sun Bear – had his arms crossed over his chest in a relaxed stance. Iruka had no doubt that he was the one who had scoffed at him.

"Why that reaction?" Iruka asked, his eyes narrowing behind his mask.

Iruka could hear the smirk in the man's reply. "It's true enough that you've made no contribution whatsoever. In fact, you've held us back and you know it. But don't misunderstand, _Chuunin, _we aren't expecting you to be of any help at all."

His first reaction was disbelief – that a fellow Konoha shinobi had actually just thrown those words at him. But it was quickly replaced by such an intense anger that his whole body actually quivered.

"I am more than capable of staying up all night and watching guard-"

"No, you're not," Sun Bear ruthlessly cut him off. "ANBU were assigned to this mission, which means that the enemies who may possibly attack us will be at our level. Do you seriously think that you, an Academy sensei who rarely goes on missions outside of the village, would be able to hold them off and protect us? You say you have had two good night's rest? Well, wake up because it seems to me that you're still out of touch with reality."

"Sun Bear, that's enough," Kakashi said sternly. He then turned to the speechless Chuunin. "Iruka, if it means so much to you, then you can stay up with one of us for an hour tonight. But only for an hour. You will need your strength tomorrow since I plan to reach the border before nightfall so I will push you."

Iruka felt cold but that wasn't the reason he was shaking. What should he do? To take Kakashi's offer would make him feel like a petulant brat who has been appeased. But if he did not take Kakashi's offer, then he would be proving than Sun Bear was right and his pride could not handle that – even if what he said was the bitter truth.

What should he do?

"Iruka-sensei, come here," Yoshino beckoned to him from the ground next to the low-light embers that she had made. Iruka hesitated since he had not answered Kakashi's question yet.

"Come on," Yoshino urged. "You can stay up with me since your eyes are probably as good as mine. A little boy used to tell me that you have eyes at the back of your head."

She was probably talking about Shikamaru. It probably did seem like that to a young Academy student since Iruka was adept at dodging kunai and shuriken coming from the back of his head. Iruka smiled weakly behind his mask. He knew what Yoshino was trying to do yet it made him feel slightly better.

* * *

Kakashi glared at Sun Bear from behind his mask. Truly, what he did was absolutely unnecessary. This mission will change Iruka irrevocably and Kakashi definitely did not need Sun Bear helping that process along even before the trouble started.

He would need to have a chat with Sun Bear – and probably with Caracal and Kestrel – after they met up with the Black Fox.

Kakashi noticed Iruka relax after Yoshino's words. He inwardly thanked the Nara matriarch for being sensitive enough to help diffuse the tension in the air. He watched as Iruka took a step towards her before he suddenly stiffened like a board.

His body reacted even before his mind could analyze the sound he heard. He grabbed Iruka and threw him as hard as he could away from Yoshino while leaping away at the same time. He detachedly noticed Yoshino jump away as well as he formed the hand signs for the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Two more Kakashis appeared as one caught Iruka in mid-air and ran off with him while the other kicked Kakashi without holding anything back to get him as far away as possible as a loud explosion erupted. The clone could not have done that any sooner as multiple spikes pierced through it, causing it to poof out of existence. Kakashi was not completely able to avoid it even with the help as he felt the very tips of the spikes cut him at his legs, arms, side and cheek.

Kakashi managed to land on the tree where his clone gripped Iruka around the waist with one arm while a kunai gleamed in his left hand. Kakashi's eyes swiftly scanned the surroundings and the devastating attack on their small camp.

He was not entirely sure as to what happened but he deduced that someone had thrown an explosive-tagged kunai towards their camp fire. However, whatever that tag was, instead of the usual explosion of fire and ash, this one also sprouted countless numbers of metal spikes that could have easily impaled any one of them.

Kakashi had not even been on the tree of more than five seconds before five tall figures leaped at him in an attack.

"Take Iruka out of here," he commanded his clone, who quickly obeyed. Kakashi vaguely heard Iruka yell his name out as he engaged the five nin. Although none of them wore bands that would identify which village they came from, Kakashi knew by their skill that they were highly trained in the art of ninjutsu.

Unfortunately, this was not one of the times he was wrong.

"Wind release: Wind Kunai Blade!"

Three voices yelled the technique and Kakashi quickly scrambled to dodge their attacks. Kakashi opened his left eye, the Sharingan allowing him to see exactly how broad the blades of the wind-infused kunai were. He hoped that none of the rest of his ANBU team was facing those with this technique since the wind blades would be invisible to the naked eye.

It was just his luck that the three wind kunai users were not the only opponents he had.

"Earth release: Swamp of the Underworld!"

_Damn, _Kakashi cursed as he was forced to leap into the air to avoid the mud that suddenly formed underneath him. One of the three wind kunai users was able to slash at him at his injured side. Kakashi quickly drew his sword as he tried to maneuver as best as he could while in the air.

"Fire release: Great Fireball!"

Since Kakashi had placed himself above his three opponents, the fire hurtled downwards towards them and the Swamp of the Underworld jutsu. The mud hardened at the middle but the outer edges were still as muddy as ever. Kakashi had a moment to lament that fire was not his natural element before two other nins engaged him in battle.

One of his opponents suddenly jerked and then fell down on the ground with a sickening crack. Bonobo – Genma – appeared next to Kakashi as the other opponents dispersed to re-group. Genma and Kakashi landed on a tree away from the mud.

"Just finished off three," Genma shot out, panting slightly. Kakashi saw that there was a thick patch of blood at his left thigh, suggesting that the man got injured there. "Last I saw, Wolverine was slightly injured due to the explosion but Sun Bear was with her. No info on the others."

"Here they come," was Kakashi's only reply as five nin launched themselves at them.

Then one of the worst possible things happened.

Kakashi felt one of his shadow clones disappear.

_Iruka!_

Kakashi quickly formed the seals that brought out his most infamous technique.

"Raikiri!"

He rushed at the nins and took two out within the span of two heartbeats, leaving three opponents for Genma.

"I need to get to Iruka," he yelled. He knew without looking back that Genma understood. He just had to trust that Genma would be able to handle three more on his own.

The others probably encountered their own handful of enemies if it took them so long to get to back to them. Therefore, he could not bet the teacher's life on the hope that one of them might have encountered Iruka.

_Hang in there, Iruka!_

* * *

Iruka clutched his injured and useless arm as he leaped high on the trees with four nin chasing after him. He knew his forehead was bleeding; his mask had already shattered a while ago.

He planted a few exploding tags in the trees he ran past, hoping that they would throw off his pursuers at least a little.

At least a little until _what_?

"Iruka-san, duck!"

Iruka obeyed the order just an instant before two lions of some sort jumped over his head to attack the four nin still pursuing him.

Sai appeared in front of him and Iruka noticed with some horror that the young man's right side was burnt and he was bleeding even more heavily than Iruka was from a wound on his head. Iruka didn't miss that Sai stumbled a bit before placing an uninjured hand on a tree trunk for support.

"We cannot stay here, we should move," Sai said calmly.

"You're swaying!" Iruka demanded, panic clear in his voice. "And you're injured!"

Sai rested his back against the tree trunk and with his uninjured left hand, drew on the scroll resting on his up-lifted thigh.

"It's okay, I'm ambidextrous," he stated.

"That's not what I'm worried about!" Iruka cried.

"They're coming again."

A huge bird big enough for two people emerged from Sai's scroll. Iruka took a firm hold of Sai and helped him jump onto the bird, which let out a loud screech before soaring towards the sky.

"Oh no, you don't!" An enemy nin yelled.

"We won't let you escape so easily!"

"Water release: Snake's Mouth!"

A huge column of water appeared from under them and then took the form of a snake with huge gaping jaws. The water snake hurtled straight towards them, ready to swallow them. It hit the bird made out of ink, making it dissolve back into ink. Just when Iruka thought that they would be swallowed up, Sai pushed him away. He was swallowed up by the water snake as Iruka watched in horror.

"SAI!"

Then a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Lightning release: Electromagnetic Murder!"

A stream of lightning flashed from seemingly out of nowhere and pierced through the water snake until it hit the source – the enemy nin, who screamed as they were electrocuted to death. Iruka reached for an unconscious Sai as they fell and did his best to land on a tree with as little damage as possible. A jolt of pain shot through his leg but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

"Iruka!" Kakashi called as he jumped towards them from quite a distance away.

Iruka could not help but smile in relief.

"Kaka-"

He was cut off as he saw Kakashi reach for him despite still being a few meters away.

"NO!"

And a thought crossed through Iruka's mind.

_There's someone behind me, isn't there?_

* * *

He didn't get all of them! Damn it! _He did not get all of them!_

"NO!" Kakashi yelled in desperation as he saw two nin raise their swords above Iruka's head to strike him down and kill him.

Kakashi tried to increase his speed but the thought already took a firm, cold hold of him.

_I have failed Naruto…_

He heard the sound of a sword slicing through the air before screams followed then were abruptly cut off.

_What…?_

A dark figure now stood behind Iruka with the two enemy nin dead at the base of the tree under them. The person carried had a bloody sword in each hand and Kakashi knew that this person was no stranger to death. He watched as Iruka slowly turned his head to look up at the person.

Kakashi rushed towards them, intent on protecting the teacher. Although he killed the two nin who were about to kill Iruka, he did not know if this mysterious person was an enemy or not.

The person stepped away from Iruka, as though showing that he meant no harm towards the teacher. As Kakashi came closer, he saw that the man – he was now sure it was a man – had an animal ANBU mask. However, instead of it being made from white ceramic like the Konoha ANBU's, his was black.

A black ANBU mask.

"Taicho!"

Kakashi's head turned and he saw Raidou, Caracal and Kestrel heading towards him. Raidou and Kestrel had minor injuries while Caracal did not have any visible injuries although she was breathing heavily. If it weren't for the stranger's presence, he would have raised his brow. It seemed they did not see as much… action as Kakashi and the others had.

"Who are you?" Kakashi demanded once he placed himself firmly in front of Iruka and Sai in a protective manner.

"Even if I am no longer standing next to you, I will always be by your side."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed at the words but he jerked in surprise when he felt Iruka grab at his hand.

"That's him," Iruka murmured hoarsely. "That's the code."

The code? What was Iruka talking about-

Kakashi's eyes widened as he realized what role Iruka, a Chuunin, had to play in this ordeal.

He was the one who was meant to recognize the Black Fox.

* * *

**A/N: **_***goes down on hands and knees with forehead pressed to the ground* My sincere apologies, my readers (if there are any left)! I realize that I haven't updated for over a year… *winces* I have excuses but I'm apologetic enough to not even mention them. I even realized that I made a mistake in the second and third chapters! *smacks forehead repeatedly against the ground* Sheesh! How stupid can I get?**_

_**But aside from the excuses, I must admit that I also had a very hard time writing this chapter. As I've mentioned before, although I thoroughly enjoy action scenes, I suck at writing them. But I tried my best here and the **_**Naruto Wikipedia **_**was truly my savior for this chapter. **_

_**Again, I'm sorry for the long wait. This chapter is dedicated to **_Prescripto, _**the first reviewer for the last chapter, and to **_Ruon jian, _**who actually PMed me to update **_**Reynard**_**. Thank you for your great interest! Thank you to the kind reviewers for last chapter:**_

Prescripto**_ – Well, I hope this chapter is not bad as well… I'm sorry for the very long wait! Thank you for reading!_**

Given Up**_ – Thank you! I hope you like this chapter as well. I'm glad you like my characterization of Iruka although I think he might become a bit OOC in this story, especially with the direction I want this fanfic to go to. I hope you can continue reading… Thanks again!_**

Ryu Earth**_ – Haha, yeah… A lot of people are curious about the daffodil… I'll answer that question someday in a chapter… Thank you for reading!_**

Eve**_– I'm glad you were curious and I hope you still are… I'm not sure how long whole story will be… I'll probably only be able to determine that after I get to a certain point in the story. I hope you keep reading despite the slow updates! Thank you!_**

Eyes0nme9_ **– I'm glad you're liking the story so far! I was initially very nervous as to how people were going to take it and like I said, I want it to be action-filled but I'm not quite sure if I'm succeeding… Thank you for reading!**_

Aisty**_– Thank you so much! I hope you do get to read this update… Thank you for your understanding and patience. Hopefully, I'll be able to update more often than once a year…_**

Nequam-tenshi**_ – Yes, I try to fill this story with mystery… I hope I'm succeeding! Thank you for your interest and I hope that you keep on reading!_**

TheEndofTag**_ – I'm glad you think this story could happen in the Naruto-verse. I think that is one of the best compliments I've heard so far from a fanfic writer point of view. Well, this chapter sort-of explains why Iruka was included… What remains to be seen is whether this is the only reason he was included. I won't spoil anything so I hope you keep on reading. Thanks again for the very kind comments!_**

Thesoulofthegreatbell**_ – As always, your comments make my day! Yes, I'm sadistic towards characters… ahem… *blushes* You think I have a great imagination? Hehe, thank you! I look forward to hearing from you again!_**

Ruon jian_ **– Thank you for taking the time to PM me and telling me how much you like my story. I'm really, truly flattered! I hope you like this chapter and I hope you keep reading my stories!**_

Skie89_ **– I can't answer your questions… That'll ruin the story. *wink* Thanks for reading and commenting!**_

bloff_ **- …I'm keeping my mouth shut… Absolutely shut… Thanks for reading and I hope you continue reading! **_


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